UNLP: Dozens Injured in Train Collision, Including Pregnant Woman and Foreigner

Kosice/Bratislava, 13 October (TASR) – Among the patients treated at Louis Pasteur University Hospital (UNLP) in Kosice following the collision of two express trains near the village of Jablonov nad Turnou (Kosice region) on Monday were a woman from Vietnam and a pregnant woman, head doctor Rastislav Burda announced at a press conference held at UNLP. In total, the hospital's trauma surgery clinic treated 33 patients. Of these, four were in a critical condition and in immediate danger of death, while nine had sustained serious injuries and the remainder suffered minor injuries, said Burda. "The positive news is that all patients survived, and we're doing everything we can to stabilise them," said Burda regarding the seriously injured patients. Upon receiving information about the accident, UNLP activated its trauma plan. A fire brigade evacuation bus was also used to transport patients to the hospital. "One patient was from Vietnam, she was stabilised and treated as an outpatient. The patients also included a pregnant woman, so the range of cases was very broad, from young to elderly people," added Burda. The pregnant woman underwent a gynaecological examination, he confirmed. Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice–SD) stated earlier that a total of 91 people underwent triage following the accident. Seven were in critical or serious condition, 14 sustained moderate injuries, and 48 suffered minor injuries. During his visit to UNLP, the minister praised the swift response and cooperation of emergency personnel and other services, as well as the care provided to the injured across several hospitals, with UNLP treating the largest number of patients. From Kosice, the minister travelled to the hospital in Roznava, which also activated its trauma response plan. UNLP director Luboslav Bena stated that the hospital took all necessary steps when handling such a serious situation. "We want to reassure the public that, in cases like this, people in our region are truly cared for to the full extent possible," he said. Petra Klimesova, spokesperson for the Slovak Emergency Medical Services Operations Centre, reported that emergency line 155 operators coordinated the response units. "Six ground ambulances, three rescue helicopters and two fire brigade ambulances were deployed at the scene," she said. A total of 69 people were transported to hospitals in Kosice, Roznava and Presov following the collision. mf/df